Metal-feeder for linotype-machines



I. H. BAST.

METAL FEEDER FOR UNOTYPE MACHINES.

, APFLHIATHIN FILED DEC- 5, 1919- 1 :365 218 52m. 11, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

J. H. BAST.

METAL FEEDER FOR LINOTYPE MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-15, 1919.

1,365,218, Patented Jan. 11, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- PATENT OFFICE- JOSEPH H. BAST, OF CHICAGO ILLINOIS.

METAL-FEEDER FOR LINOTYPE-MACHINES.

Application filed December 15, 1919.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH H. BAs'r, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and use ful Improvements in Metal- Feeders for Linotype-Machines, of which the following is a specification. i

This invention relates to devices for feeding metal to the melting pots of linotype machines. In one type of such feed devices the solid metal pigs or slugs are successively dropped into the melting pot through a mechanism controlled by the height of the melted metal in the latter. This method is objectionable for the reason that the cold pigs or slugs, if of considerable size, produce an undue cooling of the melted metal into which they are dropped. In another type of such feed devices, the pigs or slugs in the feed chute are melted by a gas flame or other heating means, the melted metal flowing in a more or less continuous stream into the melting pot. This method is free from the objection of undue cooling of the body of molten metal in'the pot, but the melting of the cold metal outside the pot involves a cer' tain loss of valuable volatile substances in the metal, and hence is not generally considered as efficient and desirable as the cold feed method.

My present invention in a way combines the cold and hot feed methods, the object being to combine the good features of both methods and reduce so far as possible the objectionable features. To this end, I pro vide a feed chute having contracted sides at its delivery end, and a burner which gradually melts away the sides of the pig until the unmelted portion is narrow enough to drop through the contracted discharge end of the chute; the result beingthat a portion of the metal of the pig flows in melted form into the pot, and the remaining portion later drops in solid form into the pot, this latter portion not being large enough to cause any objectionable cooling of the molten metal in the pot. Another object of the in vention is to provide an improved feed chute adapted to function on the principle above stated, and an improved means for effectlng the melting away of the sides of the pig in the feed chute through the direct impingement of gas burner jets thereon. Still another object is to provide an improved .au-

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 11, 1921.

Serial No. 344,986.

tomatic control for the burner jets governed by the height of the molten metal in the pot.

Other objects andv advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detail description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein I have illustrated one practical embodiment of the invention, and in which Figure l is atop plan view, showing the device applied to the melting pot of a linotype machine;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation, showing the means for adjustably mounting the feed chute; i

Fig. 3 is an enlarged top plan view broken out between the ends of the feed chute and burner, the latter being shown principally in horizontal section;

Fig. at is a side elevation, partly in vertical section, of the parts shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the lower forward end of the feed chute, with the burner and cover plate omitted; and

Fig. 6 is a cross-section on the line 66 of F ig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, 10 designates the melting pot of the kind usually employed on linotype machines, and 11 designates a horizontal frame member on which is mounted a socket 12 receiving a spindle 13 adjustable up and down in said socket by means of a set screw 14. Swiveled on the upper end of the spindle 13 is a socket 15, on the upper end of which is pivoted at 16 a lug 17 on the'u-nder side of the base 18 of a chute or trough casting that, as best shown in Fig. 5, is formed with parallel side walls 19, and, in advance of the latter, with taper ing side walls 20 inclined toward each other in the forward direction, and, in advance of the inclined walls 20, with short parallel side walls 21 at the discharge end of the chute. The rear ends of the inclined walls 20 are outwardly offset from the forward ends of the walls 19, forming draft openings 22. To the rear end of the base 18 of the chute casting is secured, as by screws 23, a chute extension 24,-the side walls of which register with the side walls 19, which extension may conveniently and cheaply be made of sheet metal, and serves to contain a line of pigs or slugs that are to be successively fed down into the pot.

As. shown in Fig. 1, the discharge endeof the chute overhangs the upper edge of the pot, and on it is mounted a burner by which the melting away of the forward corners and sides of the foremost pig is effected. This 5 burner may be an assembled pipe structure if desired, but preferably takes the form of a casting, comprising a cored transverse member 25, and a pair of forwardly and inwardly inclined cored members 26 resting upon the upper edges of the inclined side members 20 of the chute. The longitudinal duct 25 of the member 25 communicates with a gas supply pipe 27, and from the longitudinal ducts 26 of the inclined members 26 extend downwardly a series of jet openings 28 that direct. the flame jets down-.

plate 29 which overlies and rests upon the parallel side walls 19 of the chute and is provided with depending lugs 30 on either side thereof apertured to receive fastening screws 31 by which the cover plate and burner are rigidly fastened to the feed chute.

In the gas pipe 27 is interposed a suitable mixer indicated at 32 in Fig. 1, by which a proper volume of air may be entrained with the gas to produce Bunsen flames at the burner openings 28. Also interposed in the gas pipe 27 is a gas cook 33, to the stem of which is secured an arm 3 1 carrying an adj ustable weight 35. The normal tendency of the weight 35 is to turn the cock toward closed position. In the pot is a float 36 on 35 the lower end of a bent lever 37 fulcrumed at 38 to a bracket 39 carried by the pot. The outer arm of the lever 37 extends beneath and supports the arm 34 of the gas Valve. This device effects an automatic control of 40 the gas flow to the burner. When the supply of molten metal in the pot is low, the float 36 sinks and thereby opens the valve 33 wider, effecting an increased flow of gas to the burner and a consequent increased melt- 5 ing action on the foremost pig in the feed chute. As the metal in the pot rises, due to an added supply of metal, the float 36 rises, and the weight 35 then acts to partially close the gas valve, thereby checking and reducing the melting potency of the burner.

In the use of the device, a line of pigs or slugs is deposited in the feed chute, with the front corners of the foremost pig resting against the inclined walls 20 of the feed chute directly beneath the burner openings 28. The chute, by means of the pivot joint 16, is then adjusted to such an angle that the pigs will readily slide downwardly by gravity through the chute as soon as the foremost pig has passed into the melting 0t. The burner is then ignited, and the unsen flames, playing upon the front corners of the foremost pig, rapidly melt away the metal, which drops downwardly through the discharge end of the trough into the melting pot in a practically continuous stream. As the width of the pig is reduced,

it gradually slides forwardly between the narrower side walls 21, until it has been reduced throughout its entire length to a width which enables it to pass between the side walls 21, whereupon the remaining solid portion of the pig drops into the melting pot, the melting being completed by the hot metal in the latter. This raises the level of the metal in the pot and, through the gas controlling device already described, reduces the flow of gas to the burner, so that the initial melting action upon the next pig of the series is somewhat slower, and gradually increases as the level of the metal in the pot falls. This action is continuous, so long as a supply of pigs to the feed chute is maintained. During the melting action, a supply of air flows through the draft openings 22, which serves to increase the efficiency of the burner, prevents any danger of melting the side walls of the trough, and also obviates any tendency of the molten metal to stick to the side and bottom walls of the trough.

The manner and means of mounting the feed chute illustrated in Fig. 2 provides a universal joint by which any necessary or preferred angular position of the chute in either a vertical or horizontal plane may readily be obtained, thereby making the device readily adaptable to different situations on difierent machines.

It will be manifest that the details of structure herein shown and described may be variously modified without involving any departure from the principle of the invention or sacrificin any of the advantages thereof. I-Ience, T reserve all such variations and modifications as fall within the spirit and purview of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a pig feed device of the character described, the combination with a downwardly and forwardly inclined chute having inclined forwardly contracted side walls at its discharge end, of a burner mounted on said chute and having branch members mounted on and in line with the top edges of said forwardly contracted side walls, said branch members being formed with downwardly directed burner openings adapted to direct the flame jets on the opposite sides of the pig inwardly of said side 12 walls.

2. In a pig feed device of the character described, the combination with a down wardly and forwardly inclined chute having inclined forwardly contracted side walls 12 at its discharge end, of a burner comprising a cored member disposed above and crosswise of the rear ends of said forwardly contracted side walls and a pair of cored branch members mounted on and in line with the top edges of said side walls, said branch members being formed with downwardly directed burner openings adapted to direct the flame jets on the opposite sides of the pig inwardly of said side walls.

8. In a pig feed device of the character described, the combination with a feed chute having parallel side walls and, at its discharge end, inclined forwardly contracted side walls the'rear ends of which are outwardly offset from the forward ends of said parallel side walls, of a burner associated with said feed chute and provided with burner openings adapted to direct flame jets on the sides of the pig inside of said for wardly contracted side walls.

4. In a pig feed device of the character described, the combination with a down wardly and forwardly inclined chute having parallel side walls and, at its discharge end, inclined forwardly contracted side walls the rear ends of which are outwardly offset from the forward ends of said parallel side walls, of a burner comprising a cored mem ber disposed above and crosswise of the outwardly offset rear ends of said contracted side walls and a pair of cored branch members mounted on and in line with the top edges of said contracted side walls, said branch members being formed with downwardly directed burner openings adapted to direct the flame jets one the opposite sides of the pig inwardly of said side walls.

JOSEPH H. BAST. 

